Wild South Africa

Nowhere else can you find heat and cold, desert and tropics, Africa and the Antarctic altogether in a single country: South Africa - as diverse as an entire continent! But why do cold-loving penguins live next to desert-loving ostriches? Why do surfing sea snails and live-bearing chameleons survive here just as well? South Africa is a land of distinctive geographical features and climatic extremes, which ensure an exotic natural world always full of surprises. South Africa's wildlife is exposed to a constant change of living conditions. On the west coast, sea bears have become specialized in hunting young cape gannets. Further south are giant crocodiles; lions, wild dogs and elephants live inland. (National Geographic)